Tips for showing at shows?

Throws

Throws

Active member
Just did my first legit show. Holy F what an experience. I was sneered, snickered, politely smiled at...like when you see that fat kid at the table eating the paste glue out of the jar. I did have a few people who were amazed at seeing one... they were fun to talk to. They liked it.

I understand we're a limited/specialty car... but at car shows, everyone has a car they feel is special... and *should* be appreciated. I saw 5 Vette and 5G Camaros with Lambo doors... not my cup of tea, but hey... I can still appreciate someones fondness for their cars.

I was talking about this with Nate, and my wife agrees, I need a sandwich board type of sign or something. Give some specs, some C&D quotes, maybe something like that. Draw people in... give them something to read and maybe appreciate the truck a little more. For f sake, how many Tri-Fives do you see at shows, yet people fawn all over them.

So... can you guys who show put some pics up... signs, props, paraphernalia?

Here's a pic of me being ignored while a Lambo-doored 5th Gen gets gawked at (Owned by a dude who looked like Mr Miagi from Karate Kid). (I felt really bad for the guy who brought a DeTomaso Pantera and was told what a cool Lamborghini he had).

05jc.jpg


-P
 
2500avalanche

2500avalanche

Well-known member
Re: Tips for showing at shows?

I actually just had the same conversation with my wife about making an info board with pics and specs. People do the same with mine too "Why did he bring a blazer?" ughhhhh
 
dgoodhue

dgoodhue

BuSTeD 4.3
Re: Tips for showing at shows?

IMO many owners at car shows who customize their car to stand out usually get so caught in standing out that they usually ruin their ride.
 
C

Captain Morgan

Moderated User
Re: Tips for showing at shows?

Be careful what you wish for.

I've been to dozens of shows. At this point, I dont want to stand out. I like talking to the few who know what these things are, but I have zero interest in talking to every moron out there just for sake of "standing out". I go to shows for my own enjoyment, not to amuse other people with my wallet or talent.
 
ziembic

ziembic

Donating Member
Re: Tips for showing at shows?

One time at a show, I heard somebody say, while looking towards my truck: We should have just parked up here like that guy did, wouldn't have had to walk as far, just act like we are a show car.
 
G

GM TURBO

Sell Out
Re: Tips for showing at shows?

F 'em.

Those who know will appreciate it for what it is. You can't expect knuckledraggers to like anything without a carb.
 
B

blue83z

Donating Member
Re: Tips for showing at shows?

I drove the typhoon the other day to pick up rent, tenant says, did you sell your red blazer for this black one?
 
TYRODD

TYRODD

My ass. Look at it.
Re: Tips for showing at shows?

I'm pretty much done explaining what SyTys are to people. If they don't know they don't need to.

"Nice car!"

"Dont **** with it."
 
Logan

Logan

Member
Re: Tips for showing at shows?

I think the sandwich board is a good idea if you plan on going to a lot of shows. Honestly we all need to just realize that the "commoners" are uncivilized and not of our fine stock so F'em if they don't know what it is.

I stole someone's line from here and when people ask what it is I just say "I take it you aren't a car guy" and leave.
 
Norm

Norm

Donating Member
Re: Tips for showing at shows?

I agree with Capt. I've done the car show thing for 20 plus years and don't care for half the morons out there that think they know everything about cars and know less than crap. When I went to the shows with one of my cars, I never pop the hood and when they asked whats under the hood I tell them a engine. Somewtimes the less you say the better it is. As for the sandwich board, I don't care for them, but your the one going to the shows.
 
Ty0279

Ty0279

Historically Significant
Re: Tips for showing at shows?

Throws said:
Just did my first legit show. Holy F what an experience. I was sneered, snickered, politely smiled at...like when you see that fat kid at the table eating the paste glue out of the jar. I did have a few people who were amazed at seeing one... they were fun to talk to. They liked it.

Here's a pic of me being ignored while a Lambo-doored 5th Gen gets gawked at (Owned by a dude who looked like Mr Miagi from Karate Kid). (I felt really bad for the guy who brought a DeTomaso Pantera and was told what a cool Lamborghini he had).
Click to expand...

Two things...

1. Don't feel too bothered by it. Just appreciate talking to the folks who know what the Typhoon is. The people that gawked at Mr. Miagi's POS Lambo-doored Camaro have poor taste. They're probably the same people who sit in front of the TV and masturbate to re-run episodes of Unique Whips or Pimp My Ride.

2. Remember this is the Pacific Northwest - the car culture is pretty lame around these parts compared to other parts of the country. The only places that are probably more lame would be Maine and Catalina Island.
 
fauXGT

fauXGT

Brick Pilot
Re: Tips for showing at shows?

A couple of weeks ago, dad & I went to show our support for vetrans at the Hooters 'Honor flight" show & shine. Honor flight raises money so vets can be flown to DC to see their memorial for free. As we were in a line of cars to go in, with my dad & his 36 buick 4 door behind me, a guy working the event walked up to my truck and said " Are ya just looking for a place to park?". "No. I'm here to show my vehicle... along with show my support.":D
They had quite a few newer vehicles showing, including a couple of brand new Vettes.

If you have done alot of customizing, and you want to really show it, make an info board. :2cents:

Oh, and the pic of that show that I posted up was reposted on the Syclone and Typhoon Association FB page. Someone commented with a "Yea. They just let that guy park there."
Well, the hood is up. Just broke down again in typical SY/TY fashion.
 
B

blue83z

Donating Member
Re: Tips for showing at shows?

The self proclaimed car guys that know it all are usually driving camrys anyways. Or if they have a car, it's a yellow 2000 vette convertible with 4 grand in chrome and godawful chrome crap from mid America.
Those are hideous.
 
G

green73

Donating Member
Re: Tips for showing at shows?

I have a little fun messing with the old know it all grey beards that run most shows. 99.99% have no clue, and try to re-direct me to "general parking". I enjoy increasing their already vast array of knowledge to things they ignored in the past and have no clue about. On average every show I have taken the Ty to there has been at least one person that knows what it is before hand. Sometimes I'll have a factory brochure under the hood, sometimes one of the JL 1/64 Typhoons, sometimes nothing just to watch the WTF crowd. I have found that a quick rundown sparks someone's memory, or they react with a WOW! I never knew...cool.
 
Flyn Sy

Flyn Sy

Damn Qwik Old Guy
Re: Tips for showing at shows?

I have to respectfully disagree with some of you guys. My wife and I have been showing our Sy and Ty for the past 5 years, and really enjoy talking to the majority of the folks that show up. We find that there are three kinds of people that stop and talk with us:

(1) The Un-informed "I didn't know GM made these" crowd. These are the most fun to talk to, and to share with them information about our little trucks. These make up about 90% of everybody we talk to

(2) Then there are the "Wow, I remember when these came out and thought they were really cool" folks. Most of these guys have only seen 1 or 2 of these in real life, but most of them are familiar with what they are and what they could do.....oh, yeah, and appreciate them. They make up about 8-9% of the folks we talk with.

(3) Then finally there is the A**hole crowd.........you know the type I'm talking about. Yeah, these are the 1%'ers that talk smack about everything.

One thing I do have to say, and I don't say it to upset anybody, but living here in the Northwest, in the far northwest corner of Washington state, about 75% of the shows attend are in B.C. because we find that the folks up there are friendlier and much,much more appreciative of our trucks than the folks in our neck of the woods here in the U.S..........just sayin'.:lol:

As far a display goes, we just use a a nicely prepared info sheet that shows some of the pertinent data about our trucks, that is mounted in a nice lucite document stand and displayed under the hood. This is generally enough to have folks initiate a conversation with us. We love showing our trucks!
 
mswerb

mswerb

New member
Re: Tips for showing at shows?

First question. Was this a cruise in, or a car show? ( with judges?)
If it was a cruise in, don't let it get to you. The more rare your vehicle is, the cooler you are. if it was a judged show, someone should know what you have.
When I had my Typhoon I attended the Pontiac/GMC nationals at Summit Motorsports park in Norwalk, Ohio. SOME people knew what I had, SOME did not. I was usually parked next to some 18 year old punk with a Sonoma that he loaded up with parts from Auto Zone.
YOU know what you have.
Mustangs and Camaros are a dime a dozen.
If you have any magazine articles, literature, brochures or things like that, take them to the next show and put them out for display in the vehicle or under the hood.
 
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